diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/API/inc/MantidAPI/AlgorithmHistory.h b/Code/Mantid/Framework/API/inc/MantidAPI/AlgorithmHistory.h
index 01c3da5be058..52870483455e 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/API/inc/MantidAPI/AlgorithmHistory.h
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/API/inc/MantidAPI/AlgorithmHistory.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "MantidAPI/DllConfig.h"
 #include "MantidKernel/PropertyHistory.h"
 #include "MantidKernel/DateAndTime.h"
+#include <nexus/NeXusFile.hpp>
 
 #include <boost/bind.hpp>
 #include <boost/function.hpp>
@@ -120,6 +121,8 @@ class MANTID_API_DLL AlgorithmHistory
   boost::shared_ptr<IAlgorithm> createAlgorithm() const;
   /// Create an child algorithm from a history record at a given index
   boost::shared_ptr<IAlgorithm> getChildAlgorithm(const size_t index) const;
+  /// Write this history object to a nexus file
+  void saveNexus(::NeXus::File* file, int& algCount) const;
   // Allow Algorithm::execute to change the exec count & duration after the algorithm was executed
   friend class Algorithm;
   
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/API/src/AlgorithmHistory.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/API/src/AlgorithmHistory.cpp
index 3f7c08bef36c..d9361ee1ad13 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/API/src/AlgorithmHistory.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/API/src/AlgorithmHistory.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------
 #include "MantidAPI/AlgorithmHistory.h"
 #include "MantidAPI/Algorithm.h"
+#include <sstream>
 
 namespace Mantid
 {
@@ -208,5 +209,33 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const AlgorithmHistory& AH)
   return os;
 }
 
+/** Write out this history record to file.
+ * @param file :: The handle to the nexus file to save to
+ * @param algCount :: Counter of the number of algorithms written to file.
+ */
+void AlgorithmHistory::saveNexus(::NeXus::File* file, int& algCount) const
+{
+  std::stringstream algNumber;
+  ++algCount;
+  algNumber << "MantidAlgorithm_" << algCount; //history entry names start at 1 not 0
+
+  std::stringstream algData;
+  printSelf(algData);
+
+  file->makeGroup(algNumber.str(), "NXnote", true);
+  file->writeData("author", std::string("mantid"));
+  file->writeData("description", std::string("Mantid Algorithm data"));
+  file->writeData("data", algData.str());
+
+  //child algorithms
+  AlgorithmHistories::const_iterator histIter = m_childHistories.begin();
+  for(; histIter != m_childHistories.end(); ++histIter)
+  {
+    (*histIter)->saveNexus(file, algCount);
+  }
+
+  file->closeGroup();
+}
+
 } // namespace API
 } // namespace Mantid
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/API/src/WorkspaceHistory.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/API/src/WorkspaceHistory.cpp
index 3c0db0ce7a83..f5ca43887e6b 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/API/src/WorkspaceHistory.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/API/src/WorkspaceHistory.cpp
@@ -187,33 +187,14 @@ void WorkspaceHistory::saveNexus(::NeXus::File * file) const
   file->closeGroup();
 
   // Algorithm History
-  typedef std::map <std::size_t,std::string> orderedHistMap;
-  orderedHistMap ordMap;
-  for(std::size_t i=0;i<this->size();i++)
+  int algCount = 0;
+  AlgorithmHistories::const_iterator histIter = m_algorithms.begin();
+  for(; histIter != m_algorithms.end(); ++histIter)
   {
-    std::stringstream algData;
-    auto entry = this->getAlgorithmHistory(i);
-    entry->printSelf(algData);
-
-    //get execute count
-    std::size_t nexecCount=entry->execCount();
-    //order by execute count
-    ordMap.insert(orderedHistMap::value_type(nexecCount,algData.str()));
-  }
-  int num=0;
-  std::map <std::size_t,std::string>::iterator m_Iter;
-  for (m_Iter=ordMap.begin( );m_Iter!=ordMap.end( );++m_Iter)
-  {
-    ++num;
-    std::stringstream algNumber;
-    algNumber << "MantidAlgorithm_" << num;
-
-    file->makeGroup(algNumber.str(), "NXnote", true);
-    file->writeData("author", std::string("mantid"));
-    file->writeData("description", std::string("Mantid Algorithm data"));
-    file->writeData("data", m_Iter->second);
-    file->closeGroup();
+    (*histIter)->saveNexus(file, algCount);
   }
+
+  //close process group
   file->closeGroup();
 }